My Install Tale of Woe Since October.... So Far

[exasperatedmatt]

I guess i am posting this more to make me feel better, as I am well aware that I just have to wait things out as Virgin Media don't have any idea at all what their contractors actually are doing.

Anyway this is my current situation:

Ordered	12/09/22
First Install Date	20/10/22	Waited In and cancelled
Second Install Date	21/11/22	Waited In and cancelled
Third Install Date	13/12/22	Waited In and cancelled
Fourth Install Date	11/01/23	Cancelled 2 days before
Fifth Install Date	02/02/23	New Scheduled Date

I was told on ordering that as my road was already fibre enabled, then installation would be quick as they only needed to pull a cable. That was a lie, as the road needed to be dug up, and a CATV access point installed in the pavement outside my property.

In reality that was done quite quickly, and there has been a CATV access point, with a blue rope inside it outside my house since early November.

It now seems though that a cable pull is the issue, I have no idea what the issue is, and if somebody from virgin media can enlighten me as to the real issue that would be great.

I have been told multiple stories, cars in the way (nobody knocked and asked for them to be moved), roadworks, contractor holidays, shortage of cable, underground blockages, pandemic, rat infestation, too cold, too hot, too wet, too dry, leaves on the line etc etc. Honestly I don't really care, just  get it done, how hard can it be.......

[Andrew-G]

Well, you'll have your own for wanting to give VM your money, but if this is how they treat you now, how will things be when you've been connected?  Potentially whatever price you thought you were paying is at risk of being hit by the stonking April 13.4% price-tsunami this year around the time VM might connect you, and then you'll be hit with the RPI + 3.9% increase next year.  Because that's against the undiscounted tariff not the rate you pay, potentially you're looking at a near 30% increase this April, and a circa 20% increase next April - see my calculations here.   

Maybe sort out a different permanent deal elsewhere, let VM install whenever, then immediately cancel VM under cooling off rights?  You'll have the connection if you decide to let VM have another chance in future, but in the meanwhile you can get on with your online life without the uncertainty, and when you cancel they'll have to pay the hundred of pounds of compo as a cheque.

[John_GS]

Hi exasperatedmatt

It's with the installs team so I am surprised you've not heard anything.

I've reached out and asked them to contact you asap.

Best wishes,

[-tony-]

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@John_GS wrote:

Hi exasperatedmatt

It's with the installs team so I am surprised you've not heard anything.

I've reached out and asked them to contact you asap.

Best wishes,

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and we all know the answer that will come after your reaching out if one comes at all

it will be done tomorrow or tomorrow's tomorrow etc

[exasperatedmatt]

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@John_GS wrote:

Hi exasperatedmatt

It's with the installs team so I am not surprised you've not heard anything.

I've reached out and asked them to contact you asap.

Best wishes,

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Fixed that for you John. 🙂

Another day with no contact.

[exasperatedmatt]

Still waiting.....

Complaint last updated on 31st Jan, what with I don't know.

I have raised issues on here, and written to CEO Lutz Schueller 3 times now, and still no answer on what the issue is, and when it will be resolved.

Maybe it is getting time to go nuclear.

[jem101]

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@John_GS wrote:

Hi exasperatedmatt

It's with the installs team so I am surprised you've not heard anything.

I've reached out and asked them to contact you asap.

Best wishes,

---

John

Now seriously; you apparently 'reached out' (incidentally are you and your colleagues able to use that phrase whilst keeping a straight face?) to them some three weeks ago. Now, I'm sure that you are not an idiot, and must know deep down that the entire VM system for installations is fundamentally broken, the OP is not ever going to get a meaningful response are they, you know it, I know it, every single person on the forum knows it, Kei knows it, and certainly the OP knows it?

Now I think we all on here are gown-ups and fully understand that your managers in the VM social media department, expect and require you all to make a certain number of replies per day, be 'on message', use the mandated phraseology (hint: in the real world, nobody 'reaches out' to anyone, they 'contact', but still) and regurgitate the usual, blatantly obvious copy and paste responses. But there are ways and means of doing this without actually antagonising the poor customer any more than they already are.

So in the spirit of being a 'nice person' might I suggest that you refrain from patronising said customers, ie expressing surprise that 'x' hasn't happened when a simple scan of these forums will reveal that 'x' not happening is not entirely uncommon, and you absolutely must know that.

And secondly you might want to avoid personally putting 'your head above the parapet' and making statements and implied promises, because if is very likely that, metaphorically, you're going to get it shot off!

[jem101]

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@exasperatedmatt wrote:

Still waiting.....

Complaint last updated on 31st Jan, what with I don't know.

I have raised issues on here, and written to CEO Lutz Schueller 3 times now, and still no answer on what the issue is, and when it will be resolved.

Maybe it is getting time to go nuclear.

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In the spirit of being honest, you don't actually have any grounds for a complaint, well, not yet anyway. VM are not obliged to connect you up at all if they don't want to and there is nothing you or anyone else can do to compel them.

However, if they have agreed to connect you up, and accepted an order, then they absolutely are obliged to pay compensation of some £5.25 per day from the first installation date (Oct 20th?), until either a) they connect you up, b) you can't be bothered to play the game anymore and cancel, or c) they issue a formal 'cease notice' which states they they won't be connecting you up anyway, but even then they are obliged to pay the compensation for a further 30 days.

Now by my rough and ready calculation, I think you are owed the best part of £800 in compensation by now!

So here's what I would suggest, sign up with another provider and at least have some connectivity, DO NOT cancel the VM installation, just forget about it, but think about the compensation racking up. Now eventually VM will probably extract digit and connect you up, you test the connection and then immediately cancel it under the 14 day cooling off period regulations. You pay nothing but know that the connection is all in place and working should you want to give VM another chance in the future. You also contact them requesting the payment of the required compensation, this will be ignored or fobbed off. You then make a formal complaint (in writing and signed for delivery - trust me, there are good legal reasons for doing it this way), requesting payment of the compensation plus an additional £50 for the inconvenience. This request is also likely to be ignored and fobbed off, in which case you wait eight weeks and escalate it to the Ombudsman Service, at which point VM will be legally obliged to pay a couple of hundred pounds for the adjudication fee plus your compensation, along with an additional £100 for the extra inconvenience incurred.

[exasperatedmatt]

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@jem101 wrote:

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In the spirit of being honest, you don't actually have any grounds for a complaint, well, not yet anyway. VM are not obliged to connect you up at all if they don't want to and there is nothing you or anyone else can do to compel them.

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Hi jem101

Thanks for taking the time to reply at length, I am certainly either doing or intend to do exactly what you suggest.

My only slight disagreement is with the sentence that I quoted above.

VM sold me a product, which I accepted based on questions that i asked, and promises that they made.  They then asked me to agree to a contract, which does oblige them to connect me and then they continually moved the dates of the contract without any explanation. In my book that is mis-selling. Companies in different industries who behaved like this would end up in court.

[exasperatedmatt]

To the forum team:

I am still waiting for promised contact, and an explanation of why I am still waiting for a cable pull.

[Beth_G]

Hi exasperatedmatt,

I am truly sorry for the whole experience you've had with your installation, I know how frustrating it has been

I'm afraid that John isn't in today, so I can't see if he's heard back from the Installation Team, however he will be back in tomorrow.

I can see that there's been an update on the complaint which I will relay to you over private message

Thank you